Diana Nicklaus's guest appearances

Diana Nicklaus

EntreArchitect Podcast with Mark R. LePage

Context & Clarity for Small Firm Architects

Pat Flynn

Blair Enns

Ric Abramson

Michael Kilkelly

Nick Serfass

Chris Bailow

Meghana Joshi

Katie Crepeau

Steven Burns

Declan Keefe

Lora Teagarden

George Valdes

Michael Bell

Benjamin Moore

Katie Hutchison

OwlTail

How COVID-19 Impacted an Established Hybrid Architecture Firm With over 20 years of experience, Diana has practiced architecture in both the United States and Italy, with projects throughout the continental U.S. and Europe. Her portfolio includes high-profile, large-scale institutional projects, including those in the higher education, healthcare, cultural arts, and K-12 education sectors. As an advocate for women's leadership and equitable practice, she has shared Saam's strategies in numerous presentations and interviews, including Equity by Design and the AIA Women's Leadership Summit. Diana was a founding co-chair of the Massachusetts Building Congress Women's Network, the Founding President of Boston Professional Women in Construction, and is currently serving as the Secretary of the Board for the Boston Society of Architecture. This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, How COVID-19 Impacted an Established Hybrid Architecture Firm with Diana Nicklaus. Find with Diana online at SAAM-arch.com or connect with her on Twitter and LinkedIn. Please visit Our Platform Sponsors Twinmotion offers simple, real-time visualization for architects to view and edit your scene on-the-go. Present your biggest idea in the easiest way possible to differentiate your projects from your competitors! Download a FREE trial at Twinmotion.link/EntreArchitect. ARCAT is the online resource delivering quality building material information, CAD details, BIM, Specs, and more… all for free. Visit ARCAT now and subscribe to ARCATECT Weekly and ARCATAlert. Freshbooks is the all in one bookkeeping software that can save your small architecture firm both time and money by simplifying the hard parts of running your own business. Try Freshbooks for 30 days for FREE at EntreArchitect.com/Freshbooks. Monograph is a time tracking and project management tool built by architects for architects. Visit EntreArchitect.com/Monograph to learn more and try it for free today. Additionally, you can join other firm owners, operations leaders and project leaders for a one-day virtual conference to improve your business by registering at SectionCut.com. Visit our Platform Sponsors today and thank them for supporting YOU… The EntreArchitect Community of small firm architects. Referenced in this Episode EA196: A New Way to Practice Architecture with Diana Nicklaus of SAAM Architecture [Podcast] The post EA400: Diana Nicklaus – How COVID-19 Impacted an Established Hybrid Architecture Firm appeared first on EntreArchitect // Small Firm Entrepreneur Architects. Mentioned in this episode:Gabl Membership

<h3><a href="https://entrearchitect.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/DianaNicklaus3x2.jpg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a>How COVID-19 Impacted an Established Hybrid Architecture Firm</h3> With over 20 years of experience, Diana has practiced architecture in both the United States and Italy, with projects throughout the continental U.S. and Europe. Her portfolio includes high-profile, large-scale institutional projects, including those in the higher education, healthcare, cultural arts, and K-12 education sectors. As an advocate for women's leadership and equitable practice, she has shared Saam's strategies in numerous presentations and interviews, including Equity by Design and the AIA Women's Leadership Summit. Diana was a founding co-chair of the Massachusetts Building Congress Women's Network, the Founding President of Boston Professional Women in Construction, and is currently serving as the Secretary of the Board for the Boston Society of Architecture. This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, How COVID-19 Impacted an Established Hybrid Architecture Firm with Diana Nicklaus. Find with Diana online at <a href="http://saam-arch.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">SAAM-arch.com</a> or connect with her on <a href="https://twitter.com/saam_arch" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/saam-architecture" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a>. <h3>Please visit Our Platform Sponsors</h3> <a href="http://Twinmotion.link/EntreArchitect" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twinmotion</a> offers simple, real-time visualization for architects to view and edit your scene on-the-go. Present your biggest idea in the easiest way possible to differentiate your projects from your competitors! Download a FREE trial at <a href="http://Twinmotion.link/EntreArchitect" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twinmotion.link/EntreArchitect</a>. <a href="https://arcat.com" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">ARCAT</a> is the online resource delivering quality building material information, CAD details, BIM, Specs, and more… all for free. Visit ARCAT now and subscribe to <a href="http://arcat.com" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">ARCATECT Weekly and ARCATAlert</a>. <a href="http://EntreArchitect.com/Freshbooks" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Freshbooks</a> is the all in one bookkeeping software that can save your small architecture firm both time and money by simplifying the hard parts of running your own business. Try Freshbooks for 30 days for FREE at <a href="http://EntreArchitect.com/Freshbooks" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">EntreArchitect.com/Freshbooks</a>. <a href="http://EntreArchitect.com/Monograph" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Monograph</a> is a time tracking and project management tool built by architects for architects. Visit <a href="https://entrearchitect.com/monograph/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">EntreArchitect.com/Monograph</a> to learn more and try it for free today. Additionally, you can join other firm owners, operations leaders and project leaders for a one-day virtual conference to improve your business by registering at <a href="http://SectionCut.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">SectionCut.com</a>. Visit our Platform Sponsors today and thank them for supporting YOU… The EntreArchitect Community of small firm architects. <h3>Referenced in this Episode</h3> <a href="https://entrearchitect.com/podcast/entrearch/new-way-practice-architecture/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">EA196: A New Way to Practice Architecture with Diana Nicklaus of SAAM Architecture [Podcast]</a> The post <a href="https://entrearchitect.com/podcast/entrearch/how-covid-19-impacted-an-established-hybrid-architecture-firm/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">EA400: Diana Nicklaus – How COVID-19 Impacted an Established Hybrid Architecture Firm</a> appeared first on <a href="https://entrearchitect.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">EntreArchitect // Small Firm Entrepreneur Architects</a>. Mentioned in this episode:<a href="https://entrearchitect.captivate.fm/gabl-members" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Gabl Membership</a>

EA400: Diana Nicklaus – How COVID-19 Impacted an Established Hybrid Architecture Firm

A New Way to Practice Architecture with Diana Nicklaus of SAAM Architecture The world has changed in so many ways since Mark’s architecture firm, Fivcat Studio, was launched in 1999. The internet was in its infancy. Few architects were using digital marketing and communication tools. Today, we can communicate instantly with anyone in the world. Our entire firm can be launched, built and run without a dedicated office. The world is changing and with it, the practice of architecture is changing too. How can we leverage the power of the internet and the cloud to improve our practice? How can the internet’s new models improve the profession? How can these new models not only allow us to thrive as entrepreneurs, but allow us to be more flexible, more family friendly, more socially responsible, more equitable? How can we live happier lives? This week on EntreArchitect Podcast, A New Way to Practice Architecture with Diana Nicklaus of SAAM Architecture. Background With over 20 years of experience, Diana has practiced architecture in both the US and Italy. Based in Boston, MA, Diana cofounded SAAM in 2014. It was established with the goal of providing high-level client services through unique and innovative project specific solutions over sector based opportunities. They’ve adopted a business model that provides aggressive HR policies and have therefore attracted some great talent. In three years, they’ve grown to a team of 24 people. Origin Story Diana grew up in Amarillo, Texas. Her mother was a humanities professor at the local community college, and she taught Diana a lot about how to examine her surroundings. Diana remembers driving through small towns and playing a game with the local churches: they would guess the denomination based on the style. When she ended up in university, she worked with an architectural historian and expanded her view of architecture and design. She finished at Tufts with a degree in architectural history and urban studies, and went to graduate school at the University of Texas at Austin. Following graduation, a strong collegiate connection with Pei Cobb Freed &amp; Partners in New York City, where she worked for four years learning about the global practice, high profile projects, and more. Her career took a turn when she worked for a firm in Venice that was doing building scanning. After that, she worked for a few firms in Cleveland, Ohio where she found a strong technical background. Eventually, she made her way back to Boston, where she really appreciates the strong roots in the equity discussion that’s happening today. Did you go to Boston with the intent of starting your own firm? Diana had no intention of starting her own firm. In Boston, she worked in an office with about 45 people, where she had the perks of flexible schedules and time to work from home. Work life benefits became an important factor in how she looked at the profession. Her company was acquired by another company, and after three years, she knew it was time to move away from that space and start her own company. In a large firm environment, they found themselves being encouraged to fit into a group depending on your specialties. As someone with a liberal arts background, Diana felt taught to work through different projects and create a different practice by working across sectors. When you started your firm, what planning stages did you go through? When they started, they built the firm knowing they wanted to do bigger work, not just typical architectural startup projects. They wanted to bring in others who also worked on those types of large projects. They had to figure out a way to bring those people into a new firm and expand on HR policies. In addition to flexible schedules and remote working, they also wanted to try unlimited vacations and other things. These things really attracted quality people, people like mothers, fathers, people with aging parents or who want more time with hobbies. In last year’s world, there was a specific question about work life benefits. Usually, men were given access to that more than women. At SAAM, everyone has the same access to the same opportunities. What challenges are there when moving toward a better work life balance? Historically, architectural culture doesn’t have a great foundation in trusting employees. A lot of trust and communication is required at a firm like SAAM. Leadership needs to open their minds if they want to cultivate this culture shift. When people are willing to share with one another, there’s incredible support to be found. What’s the structure of the firm? Diana is the CEO and her partner is the COO. They work a lot on projects and fulfill their executive roles. They have three principals, one of whom works remotely, allowing SAAM to access her incredible knowledge and use her as a resource. There are five senior associates and many other associates. The view with titles is that it’s more about what your level of engagement with clients is. Some associates may not have finished their licensure, but they’re meeting with clients on a huge project. Part of what works with the flexibility model is a standing meeting in the office on Mondays. They go through every project and talk about the marketing and things they’re looking to pursue. They’ve found this helps people to know what goes on in the firm and connect better internally. Those who are remote are encouraged to join by phone or video conference. How does your staff stay disciplined? There are not set office hours, set holidays, or set times for vacations. Hours are flexible, but that means you need to figure out how to get your work done. If you want to go to your kids’ soccer practices but your client needs something, it’s your responsibility to figure out how to get that done. Everyone uses their personal cell phones, so clients can reach their team at any time. Do clients’ needs take precedence over personal activities?  The basic assumption is that clients come first. If someone had a sick child or some other reason they can’t make a meeting, the team steps up to help out. Because they’re supporting each other so well, there’s no sense of competition felt. Is there a clear path to advancement? As of now, there isn’t a set path. They try to provide a level playing field with opportunities to grow. If someone makes the most of those opportunities, they will eventually advance themselves. SAAM also doesn’t complete performance reviews. Instead, they take people to lunch a couple times a year to have a conversation to hear what people want to work on, what they like, and how they can do better. Are you feeling any challenges? One of the challenges they found is that younger people right out of school are different than they expected. They were harder to recruit because they hadn’t worked in other firms and didn’t really recognize the opportunity compared to another job. Do you use time tracking? Our primary reason for tracking is for billing our clients. It’s important for them that they do that. Only once have they looked at who’s taking vacation. The problem sometimes with unlimited vacation is that some people don’t use it, when they should be using it. What are some tools you’re using to make this happen? GoToMeeting is big. They also use BQE Software. They collaborate with Revit and cloud-based storage. What advice would you give someone wanting to build a firm similar to yours? Don’t get too caught up in your business plan. You just can’t know what opportunities will come to you. Make sure you’re in a situation where you have client access. You want your clients to like you and want to follow you to your next space. Take advantage of the opportunities you have in your firm now. Ask your boss about their business, look at their financials if they are open to it. Get as much training as you can. What is the one thing that small firm architects can do today to build a better business tomorrow? “Try to hire the best people you can possibly find even if you don’t have all the right project work for them.”  – Diana Nicklaus, SAAM Connect with Diana online at SAAM-arch.com or visit her on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Want to see their entire HR Handbook? Find it on their website! Visit our Platform Sponsors Freshbooks is the easy way to send invoices, manage expenses, and track your time. Access your free 30 day trial at EntreArchitect.com/FreshBooks. (Enter EntreArchitect)  Core by BQE Software is a brand new software designed specifically for architect’s project management! Get a free 15-day trial at EntreArchitect.com/BQE. ARCAT has huge libraries of free content, Specs, CAD, BIM and more. No registration required. Want to collaborate with colleagues in real time? Visit EntreArchitect.com/ARCAT and click Charrette for more information. Gusto is making payroll, benefits, and HR easy for small firm architects. Get an exclusive, limited time detail. Sign up today and get three months free.  Visit EntreArchitect.com/Gusto and claim your free three months today! Referenced in this Episode Download the Profit For Small Firm Architects course for FREE. Leave a Rating and Review at iTunes EntreArchitect Membership Visit the home page at EntreArchitect.com to join now. The post EA196: A New Way to Practice Architecture with Diana Nicklaus of SAAM Architecture [Podcast] appeared first on EntreArchitect // Small Firm Entrepreneur Architects. Mentioned in this episode:Gabl Membership

<h2><a href="https://entrearchitect.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/DianaNicklaus2015.jpg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a>A New Way to Practice Architecture with Diana Nicklaus of SAAM Architecture</h2> The world has changed in so many ways since Mark’s architecture firm, Fivcat Studio, was launched in 1999. The internet was in its infancy. Few architects were using digital marketing and communication tools. Today, we can communicate instantly with anyone in the world. Our entire firm can be launched, built and run without a dedicated office. The world is changing and with it, the practice of architecture is changing too. How can we leverage the power of the internet and the cloud to improve our practice? How can the internet’s new models improve the profession? How can these new models not only allow us to thrive as entrepreneurs, but allow us to be more flexible, more family friendly, more socially responsible, more equitable? How can we live happier lives? This week on EntreArchitect Podcast, A New Way to Practice Architecture with Diana Nicklaus of <a href="http://saam-arch.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">SAAM Architecture</a>. Background With over 20 years of experience, Diana has practiced architecture in both the US and Italy. Based in Boston, MA, Diana cofounded <a href="http://saam-arch.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">SAAM</a> in 2014. It was established with the goal of providing high-level client services through unique and innovative project specific solutions over sector based opportunities. They’ve adopted a business model that provides aggressive HR policies and have therefore attracted some great talent. In three years, they’ve grown to a team of 24 people. Origin Story Diana grew up in Amarillo, Texas. Her mother was a humanities professor at the local community college, and she taught Diana a lot about how to examine her surroundings. Diana remembers driving through small towns and playing a game with the local churches: they would guess the denomination based on the style. When she ended up in university, she worked with an architectural historian and expanded her view of architecture and design. She finished at Tufts with a degree in architectural history and urban studies, and went to graduate school at the University of Texas at Austin. Following graduation, a strong collegiate connection with Pei Cobb Freed &amp; Partners in New York City, where she worked for four years learning about the global practice, high profile projects, and more. Her career took a turn when she worked for a firm in Venice that was doing building scanning. After that, she worked for a few firms in Cleveland, Ohio where she found a strong technical background. Eventually, she made her way back to Boston, where she really appreciates the strong roots in the equity discussion that’s happening today. Did you go to Boston with the intent of starting your own firm? Diana had no intention of starting her own firm. In Boston, she worked in an office with about 45 people, where she had the perks of flexible schedules and time to work from home. Work life benefits became an important factor in how she looked at the profession. Her company was acquired by another company, and after three years, she knew it was time to move away from that space and start her own company. In a large firm environment, they found themselves being encouraged to fit into a group depending on your specialties. As someone with a liberal arts background, Diana felt taught to work through different projects and create a different practice by working across sectors. When you started your firm, what planning stages did you go through? When they started, they built the firm knowing they wanted to do bigger work, not just typical architectural startup projects. They wanted to bring in others who also worked on those types of large projects. They had to figure out a way to bring those people into a new firm and expand on HR policies. In addition to flexible schedules and remote working, they also wanted to try unlimited vacations and other things. These things really attracted quality people, people like mothers, fathers, people with aging parents or who want more time with hobbies. In last year’s world, there was a specific question about work life benefits. Usually, men were given access to that more than women. At <a href="http://saam-arch.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">SAAM</a>, everyone has the same access to the same opportunities. What challenges are there when moving toward a better work life balance? Historically, architectural culture doesn’t have a great foundation in trusting employees. A lot of trust and communication is required at a firm like <a href="http://saam-arch.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">SAAM</a>. Leadership needs to open their minds if they want to cultivate this culture shift. When people are willing to share with one another, there’s incredible support to be found. What’s the structure of the firm? Diana is the CEO and her partner is the COO. They work a lot on projects and fulfill their executive roles. They have three principals, one of whom works remotely, allowing SAAM to access her incredible knowledge and use her as a resource. There are five senior associates and many other associates. The view with titles is that it’s more about what your level of engagement with clients is. Some associates may not have finished their licensure, but they’re meeting with clients on a huge project. Part of what works with the flexibility model is a standing meeting in the office on Mondays. They go through every project and talk about the marketing and things they’re looking to pursue. They’ve found this helps people to know what goes on in the firm and connect better internally. Those who are remote are encouraged to join by phone or video conference. How does your staff stay disciplined? There are not set office hours, set holidays, or set times for vacations. Hours are flexible, but that means you need to figure out how to get your work done. If you want to go to your kids’ soccer practices but your client needs something, it’s your responsibility to figure out how to get that done. Everyone uses their personal cell phones, so clients can reach their team at any time. Do clients’ needs take precedence over personal activities?  The basic assumption is that clients come first. If someone had a sick child or some other reason they can’t make a meeting, the team steps up to help out. Because they’re supporting each other so well, there’s no sense of competition felt. Is there a clear path to advancement? As of now, there isn’t a set path. They try to provide a level playing field with opportunities to grow. If someone makes the most of those opportunities, they will eventually advance themselves. <a href="http://saam-arch.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">SAAM</a> also doesn’t complete performance reviews. Instead, they take people to lunch a couple times a year to have a conversation to hear what people want to work on, what they like, and how they can do better. Are you feeling any challenges? One of the challenges they found is that younger people right out of school are different than they expected. They were harder to recruit because they hadn’t worked in other firms and didn’t really recognize the opportunity compared to another job. Do you use time tracking? Our primary reason for tracking is for billing our clients. It’s important for them that they do that. Only once have they looked at who’s taking vacation. The problem sometimes with unlimited vacation is that some people don’t use it, when they should be using it. What are some tools you’re using to make this happen? GoToMeeting is big. They also use BQE Software. They collaborate with Revit and cloud-based storage. What advice would you give someone wanting to build a firm similar to yours? Don’t get too caught up in your business plan. You just can’t know what opportunities will come to you. Make sure you’re in a situation where you have client access. You want your clients to like you and want to follow you to your next space. Take advantage of the opportunities you have in your firm now. Ask your boss about their business, look at their financials if they are open to it. Get as much training as you can. What is the one thing that small firm architects can do today to build a better business tomorrow? “Try to hire the best people you can possibly find even if you don’t have all the right project work for them.”  – Diana Nicklaus, <a href="http://saam-arch.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">SAAM</a> Connect with Diana online at <a href="http://saam-arch.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">SAAM-arch.com</a> or visit her on <a href="https://twitter.com/saam_arch" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, Facebook, and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/saam-architecture" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a>. Want to see their entire HR Handbook? Find it on their website! <h3>Visit our Platform Sponsors</h3> Freshbooks is the easy way to send invoices, manage expenses, and track your time. Access your free 30 day trial at <a href="https://entrearchitect.com/freshbooks" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">EntreArchitect.com/FreshBooks</a>. (Enter EntreArchitect) Core by BQE Software is a brand new software designed specifically for architect’s project management! Get a free 15-day trial at <a href="http://Entrearchitect.com/BQE" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">EntreArchitect.com/BQE</a>. ARCAT has huge libraries of free content, Specs, CAD, BIM and more. No registration required. Want to collaborate with colleagues in real time? Visit <a href="http://EntreArchitect.com/ARCAT" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">EntreArchitect.com/ARCAT</a> and click Charrette for more information. Gusto is making payroll, benefits, and HR easy for small firm architects. Get an exclusive, limited time detail. Sign up today and get three months free.  Visit <a href="http://EntreArchitect.com/Gusto" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">EntreArchitect.com/Gusto</a> and claim your free three months today! <h3>Referenced in this Episode</h3> <a href="https://entrearchitect.com/freecourse" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Download the Profit For Small Firm Architects course for FREE. </a><a href="https://entrearchitect.com/itunes" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Leave a Rating and Review at iTunes</a> <h3>EntreArchitect Membership</h3> Visit the home page at <a href="https://entrearchitect.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">EntreArchitect.com</a> to join now. The post <a href="https://entrearchitect.com/podcast/entrearch/new-way-practice-architecture/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">EA196: A New Way to Practice Architecture with Diana Nicklaus of SAAM Architecture [Podcast]</a> appeared first on <a href="https://entrearchitect.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">EntreArchitect // Small Firm Entrepreneur Architects</a>. Mentioned in this episode:<a href="https://entrearchitect.captivate.fm/gabl-members" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Gabl Membership</a>

EA196: A New Way to Practice Architecture with Diana Nicklaus of SAAM Architecture [Podcast]